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  Metros   Mumbai  06 Dec 2018  Uddhav tells Sena ministers to finish work by December

Uddhav tells Sena ministers to finish work by December

THE ASIAN AGE.
Published : Dec 6, 2018, 2:00 am IST
Updated : Dec 6, 2018, 2:00 am IST

This has also led to strong speculation in political circles of simultaneous general and Assembly elections in the state.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray
 Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked ministers from his party to complete their work by December itself. He has asked ministers not to keep any major files pending after December. This has also led to strong speculation in political circles of simultaneous general and Assembly elections in the state.

The Assembly polls in the state usually take place four months after the general elections. But this time, there is talk that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will advance the date of the Assembly elections so that they are held at the same time as general elections in April-May 2019.

On Monday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mr Thackeray shared the stage in Vidarbha and showered praise on each other. This was interpreted as a confirmation of the Sena-BJP alliance for the general elections. Not just that, both leaders travelled in the same car for a few minutes. The same evening, Mr Thackeray called a meeting of ministers from his party at Matoshree, his residence in Mumbai.

Sources claimed that during the meeting, Mr Thackeray asked his ministers to expedite the work in their departments. “There should not be any pending file. Take all important decisions by the end of December. The pending work of all our MLAs and strongholds in the state should be done by that time,” he reportedly said to his ministers.

Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held by mid-October 2019.

But Mr Fadnavis and his party may decide to go for elections in April itself. “PM Modi will create the mahaul (atmosphere) for this election. So simultaneous voting may help the ruling parties. This is a strong thought in the party” said a BJP
minister.

“There are a number of issues that need to be dealt with before simultaneous polls. Will the Sena be in an alliance? If not, how will the BJP counter the opposition? Also, there will be an alliance between opposition parties. So the decision of simultaneous polls will come after deliberations on all these issues,” the minister said.

Tags: uddhav thackeray, devendra fadnavis